Receptacle attachment for dash-boards



(No Model.)

M. FAHEY.

REGEPTAOLE ATTACHMENT FOR DASH BOARDS.

Patented Mar. 30, 1886.

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UNITED STATES ATENT Price.

MICHAEL FAHEY, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

RECEPTACLE ATTACHMENT FOR DASH-BOARDS.

EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,833, dated March 30, 1886.

Application filed December 18, 1885.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL FAI-IEY, of the city of Oakland, county of Alameda, and State of California, have invented an Improvement in Receptacle Attachment for Dash-Boards; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to a new and useful bag or receptacle adapted to be readily attached to and detached from the dashboards of vehicles; and my invention consists in a bag, receptacle, or casing made of any suitable material and provided with a spring,

clamp flap on its back adapted to fit over the top of the dash-board. The bag is stiffened by means of spring-bars let into the material and passing under the bottom, up the back, and into the clamp-flap, where they unite with a cross-bar, forming a spring'frame for the clamp-flap flexible or pliable enough to allow it to fit over the dash-board, and still to keep it sufficiently stiff for a good appearance. The interior of the bag may be divided into suitable compartments, and the partitional walls should, preferably, be made of some elastic material, as should also the ends of the bag, for a purpose I shall presently describe.

The object of my invention is to provide a bag or receptacle for conveniently containing and carrying parcels, letters, &c., and which, by reason of its construction, is entirely out of the way, and yet perfectly secure in its position.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of my receptacle, showing its attachment to the clashboard, and one end of its cover folded back. Fig. 2 is a perspective skeleton View showing the springbars D and the bar E. Fig. 3 is a perspective view looking from one end.

The bag A has a suitable front and back made of some yielding or flexible materialsuch as india-rubber or any cloth or fabric, or in cases where a good appearance is desired, glazed oil-cloth of the same character as that on the dash-board.

The ends a of the bag, as well as the partitional walls a of its compartments, though they may be made of the same material as the rest of the bag, are preferably constructed of some elastic material, such as rubber, so that they may the more easily allow the bag to col- Serial No. 186,081. (No model.)

lapse, and may also contain parcels which are slightly longer than the compartment in which they lie, and still not interfere with the proper closing or collapsing of the bag.

B is the flap or cover, and 0 is the clampfiap at the rear top edge of the bag, bending over and extending downwardly parallel with the back of the bag to a short distance.

The lower portion of the front of the bag, its bottom, its back, and the clamp-flap O are stiffened by means of spring-bars D, which are properly let into the material, starting in the front at a point marked (1, and thence extending under the bottom (providing thus for the proper and permanent width of said bottom,) and up the back, bending downwardly into the clampflap to its lower edge, as shown. In the lower portion of the clamp-flap is a cross-bar, E, which is secured, as by welding, to the ends of the spring-bars D, thus forming for said clamp-flap a frame which holds it perfectly smooth, but still is of such a character as to give it the required spring for adjusting it to its place.

Though any means may be provided for fastening the cover B of the bag, I prefer to use the ordinary fastening of many valises, such as is here shown, by the swiveled thumb-pieces or buttonsf, which engage with elongated slots or apertures F in the cover. These buttons are seated in the forward ends of the springbars D, which give them a firm support.

It will be seen that while the lower portion of the bag is comparatively stiff and remains of a permanent width the top of the bag may collapse or be narrowed, thus making it occupy a very small space, and entirely out of the way. The elastic character of the ends of the bag and of its partitional walls conduce further to this result.

The manner of applying the bagto the dashboardG is as follows: The bagis placed inside of the dash-board, its springclamp flap O fitting over its top, thus binding and holding the bag in position. The pressure of this flap, while sufficient to prevent the bag from moving from its place, is yet light enough to permit its ready removal when necessary.

The uses of this receptacle are many, and need not be here explained at any length; but it is obvious that instead of placing the parcels in the bottom of the vehicle, where they are liable to be lost by being shaken or jarred out, they can be placed in the receptacle and thus be carried safely and kept out of the way, and in rainy weather they can be kept dry, a result especially to be desired where mail is being carried.

The appearance of the bag is not against it, but, on the contrary, rather in its favor, as it can be made to look as neat as other portions of the vehicle.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with the dash-board of a vehicle, a flexible bag, receptacle, or casing for parcels, &c., adjustably connected therewith, whereby it canbe easily placed in position and again removed, substantially as herein described.

2. In combination with the dash-board of a vehicle, a flexible bag, receptacle, or casing lying against the inner surface of said dashboard, and a removable connection between thetop of the bag, receptacle, or casing and the top of the dash-board, substantially as herein described.

3. In combination with the dashboard of a vehicle, a flexible bag, receptacle, or casing 4 adapted to be collapsed and distended, and a means on the said bag, receptacle, or casing for readily connecting it with the dash-board, substantially as herein described.

4. The bag, receptacle, or casing, A, having a flap, O, on its rear top edge, in combination with the spring-bars D, stifi'ening the lower 5 flap O at its rear top edge, in combination with the spring-bars D in said bag and flap, and the cross-bar E in the lower edge of the flap, substantially as herein described.

6. The bag, receptacle, or casing A, having elastic ends a and elastic partitions a, in combination with the spring-clamp flap G, at its rear top edge, for embracing the top of the dash-board, substantially as described.

Z. An attachment for the dash-boards of vehicles, consisting of the flexible bag, receptacle, or casing A, having elastic ends a, elastic partitional walls a, and a cover, B, a flap, O, at its rear top edge, spring-bars D, stifiening said bag and flap, as described. the cross-bar E in said flap, and the swiveled buttons f, on said bars D, whereby the cover is secured, all arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

MICHAEL FAHEY. Witnesses: I

WILL H. BURRALL, ROBERT A. J AGKSON. 

